Well, folks, the 2025-26 Penn State Athletics year is over, for better or for worse. Most fans will look back on it as one of Penn State’s most disappointing seasons to date, given the preseason hype surrounding several programs.

Nevertheless, life moves forward. Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Pat Kraft and the squads are turning the page over to 2026-27, and with that comes new expectations, hope, and faces. For some programs, that means none of that.

Which teams seem to be well-equipped for the future, and which Penn State squads seem to be on track for more disappointment?

No. 15: Hoops

While Mike Rhoades’ transfer portal acquisitions are poised to make an immediate impact, do any of the names brought in truly move the needle in terms of expectations? The Big Ten is only getting better, and the program has practically been left to die.

Miracles are needed in the Bryce Jordan Center, and I don’t know if miracles even reach that far.

No. 14: Baseball

Penn State baseball just wrapped up its most disappointing season under Mike Gambino, showing extreme regression from its run to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals in 2024-25.

The Nittany Lions faced pitching struggles and battled the injury bug all year long. The program might still be on a positive trajectory, but a down year after consistent success can be a slippery slope.

No. 13: Field Hockey

Penn State field hockey mustered a 7-10 record in 2025 with a 2-6 record in conference play. Kraft did away with Lisa Bervinchak Love at the end of the year, naming Hannah Prince as the successor.

The Nittany Lions last made the Big Ten Tournament in 2023. It’ll take a few years before they can get back to that level. For now, field hockey must dwell on the lower end of Penn State’s program future outlooks.

No. 12: Women’s Basketball

Much like Penn State hoops, the Lady Lions have a lot of work to do to regain respect in the Big Ten. The key difference? Kraft made a coaching change for the women’s squad, switching Carolyn Kieger for Lady Lion legend Tanisha Wright.

Wright seems like exactly what the program needs to start trending in the right direction. But how long until the Lady Lions are serious contenders in the conference?

It’s going to take a bit to get the ball rolling. The first few years could get ugly.

No. 11: Softball

Penn State softball had its season cut short in the Big Ten quarterfinals by UCLA. The Nittany Lions stayed consistent after an elimination in the same stage in 2025 and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2024.

However, the Nittany Lions simply aren’t equipped to reel in big-time talent in the recruiting sphere to compete with other top dogs in the Big Ten.

Shoutout Allison Oneacre, though.

No. 10: Women’s Volleyball

While it holds Penn State’s most recent non-wrestling National Championship, the women’s volleyball team fell in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. The Nittany Lions also fell out of the AVCA rankings for the first time since 1988.

Key contributors like Maggie Mendelson and Gillian Grimes made their way out of the program to graduate, and it looks like an uphill battle for Katie Schumacher-Cawley’s squad in 2026, especially with more difficult non-conference matchups in exhibition tournaments.

No. 9: Men’s Soccer

Penn State men’s soccer failed to make the Big Ten Tournament for the second year in a row as Jeff Cook stepped aside to take on a leadership role in MLS. The program has felt aimless in the past two years. There’s no clear direction or team identity, and a change was needed.

Kraft went out and hired Vermont’s Rob Dow to revitalize the program and steer it back in the right direction. It’ll take a while to really start oozing results out of the Nittany Lions, but they’re already primed for a big leap in 2026. It’s not every day that you can snag a National Championship-winning coach.

No. 8: Men’s Volleyball

In the same vein, Penn State men’s volleyball also lost a long-tenured coach in Mark Pavlik. Pavlik called it a career after 32 seasons leading the Nittany Lions on the court. The program elevated longtime associate head coach Colin McMillan to the leading role.

The Nittany Lions are coming off a first-round NCAA Tournament exit to UC Irvine. While Penn State is losing two of its best players in Owen Rose and Ryan Merk, it has a solid base of young talent, including Tristan Hassell and Sean Harvey. It’ll be a bit of a transition period, but in-house hiring should cover any real pain points. A steep drop-off would be surprising.

No. 7: Men’s Hockey

There are a lot of key departures, but the program still has Guy Gadowsky at the helm.

There will be new faces and new expectations, but that doesn’t change the team’s talent and coaching staff. The NCAA Tournament is the norm in Happy Valley now. That cannot and will not change.

No. 6: Football

Penn State football is facing the most complete overhaul of coaches, players, and staff among all Penn State Athletics programs. Nevertheless, the team is primed to at least be a threat in the Big Ten come December.

Matt Campbell has demonstrated how much honor and pride he’s taking in the job. Rocco Becht is an experienced quarterback with his head coach right by his side in a new environment. The Penn State faithful are all behind the team. The relatively easy schedule and hype alone can propel them to a surprising finish when it’s all said and done.

No. 5: Women’s Lacrosse

Penn State women’s lacrosse really got the short end of the stick with its Big Ten Tournament matchup against Michigan and NCAA Tournament matchup against Stanford. The Nittany Lions are talented and impressed heavily in their first year under Kayla Treanor. They will only keep improving and are primed to make another tournament run in 2027.

No. 4: Women’s Soccer

Consistent deep NCAA Tournament runs. A talented roster. An experienced coach. Penn State women’s soccer is a well-oiled machine.

If the stars align just right, it can easily make another deep run in 2026.

No. 3: Men’s Lacrosse

Penn State men’s lacrosse ran into eventual national champion Princeton in the quarterfinals of the 2026 NCAA Tournament after making a run to the semifinals in 2025. Jeff Tambroni’s squad is headed by some of the best young players in the sport, like Jack Iannantuono and Hunter Aquino.

The Nittany Lions simply need one final piece of the puzzle to overtake the top dogs of college lacrosse. Once that’s filled, a national title will very well be on its way to Happy Valley.

No. 2: Women’s Hockey

Penn State women’s hockey made a run to the Frozen Four on home ice, where it fell to eventual national champion Wisconsin in overtime. It really doesn’t get much closer than that. The Nittany Lions will run it back under Jeff Kampersal for another shot at the natty. It isn’t far away in the slightest.

No. 1: Wrestling

Need I say more?